New Hampshire State police arrested Matthew Tsopas for causing a crash that killed a newlywed woman and left her husband severely injured.
Leah Fonda and Brian Preiss married July 12. They spent the first part of their honeymoon in England. They were driving to Niagara Falls for the second part of their honeymoon when the accident occurred at approximately 4:30 Saturday afternoon.
Police say that Tsopas was drunk when his car swerved into oncoming traffic and crashed into Brain and Leah’s car. He fled the scene after the accident, but police quickly found him.
Police took Tsopas to Wentworth Douglas Hospital for treatment of unknown injuries. Police then arrested him for negligent homicide and two additional felonies, felony driving under the influence of alcohol and felony conduct after an accident.
Leah and Brian were initially treated at Wentworth Douglas Hospital in Dover. Leah died from her injuries. Brian was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital to receive further treatment for his serious injuries.
"(We’re in) complete shock, disbelief. We had just seen them dance together. We had just seen them pose for pictures together,” Brian Preiss’ uncle Chuck Czech told local news station WCVB News Center 5 .
Tsopas attended a party at American Legion Hall in Rollinsford, earlier in the afternoon the day of the crash. He left the party early after getting into a fight with another attendee. The Liquor Enforcement Bureau will investigate the bar.
"One of the first things that New Hampshire State Police did was notify the Liquor Enforcement Bureau and that aspect of the case is being looked into as well," Thomas Velardi, the New Hampshire prosecutor handling the case, told CBS .
Image : Mariomaster1589, from Wikimedia Commons